“You don’t have to, but I know they don’t play fair. You better get a move on if you want to get her back without finding her dead.”
That ran a cold chill down Ray’s spine. The man turned and walked back to the door. He took his position again, and Ray wondered why he helped him. He decided not to wonder too long as he needed to find Augusta.
Ray hopped back into his car and pulled out of the parking lot, kicking up dust in his path. He drove like a madman across town. He turned left downtown until he found the strip club.
Lights were on, and the parking lot was full. He took a steady breath in, knowing somehow that Augusta was here. He could feel it. He cracked his neck and got out of the car. He slammed the door, ready to kill whoever stood in his way.
Chapter20
Augusta
The clock was ticking. She needed to act fast in order to save her life. She decided the only way to buy time was to come up with a lie to trick them just long enough to figure out how to get away.
She racked her brain for a few moments as they all stared at her. Then, it hit her.That’s it!
“Okay, fine,” she started in a raspy voice. The noose was just tight enough to be resting on her vocal cords, causing her to have to force the words out.
“The photo that you’re searching for is under the floorboards of my darkroom. There are a few loose boards under the tables in the back that come up at the edges. If you grab it and pull them completely out, you’ll find a box with the photo inside.”
She had never come up with a lie so quickly in her life. She was quite proud of herself. She had to make sure she came up with just enough details to keep them occupied for a while, but not so many that they could tell she was trying to fool them. She was also heavily relying on the hope that Ray had secured the negative.
“You better not be fooling us,” Matchstick Malone finally said as he motioned out the door to two of his goons gesturing for them to go.
Little Stevie turned off the heater that was slowly melting her ice block, giving her some time to stand there without the ice melting out from under her as the men went out to investigate the details she had given them.
It wouldn’t take too long for them to find out she was lying, and the repercussions of leading them astray couldn’t be good for her. Terror radiated through her body at the thought of what they would do to her when they got back, but she didn’t think she would have been able to give up Ray.
When the goons got back to tell Matchstick and Stevie that she had made the whole thing up, she’d have a choice to make. Either give up the only man who had stood up for her in her entire life or die to keep him safe.
There isn’t really a choice. I have to save him. I’ll never be able to live with myself if I don’t.
Her decision hadn’t taken long to make, and it definitely wasn’t hard for her to choose what she was going to do. She wouldn’t dare give them the satisfaction of killing him. Ray would get to live, and they might go down for the crime.
A thought crossed her mind. She needed to distract them and keep their minds on random small talk rather than what she was really there for.
“Matchstick,” she asked. “Tell me. How’d you get the name?” The question sounded even cheesier coming out of her mouth than she thought it would, but she was desperate.
“That’s not anything you need to be concerned with, hun. You’re the only one in the room that seems to have a noose around her neck, am I right?” he asked, glancing at Stevie, who nodded in agreement.
“Okay. Be that way. I just figured that we were all here together with nothing to do but wait for your men to get back, so we might as well get to know each other, pass some time, but never mind.”
“Forgive him. He’s not himself when he’s hungry.” Stevie laughed, interrupting her.
“I’m not either. We have that in common.” She nervously laughed back.
It may not have been the best strategy, but she hoped that maybe some small talk drawing comparisons would remind them she was just a person. Someone they didn’t need to hurt.
Matchstick glared at her and Stevie. Maybe it had been too much to hope for.
They both sat in silence, staring at their boots on the floor. They even appeared nervous. She couldn’t help but smile when Stevie brought up food once again.
“Matchstick, do you think I have enough time to go grab some food? I’ll bring you back something too.” He looked sincere, almost like a kid asking his elementary school teacher if he could use the bathroom.
“Food is really on your mind right now? When she is there, hanging from her neck? And our men are out there searching for that picture of us. None of this concerns you at all?” he responded in annoyance.
“No, sir, it definitely does. But I just thought we could be eating while we were waiting …” He stood there glowering at Matchstick for a few seconds. “You know what? Never mind. I’m not even hungry now.” Then he switched his glance to where Augusta was standing. “It would be rude to eat in front of the lady, anyways,” he said as he smiled at her.
She gritted her teeth, biting her tongue. She stood here, waiting to fall to her death, and these two were worried aboutfood?That’s what was more important to them? Not taking a life?